The Daily Press is the city of Timmins broadsheet newspaper and Wayne Snider is the city editor.
Don’t expect NDP MPPs to save Ontario Northland
Is it possible that one of the reasons the provincial government wants to scrap the Ontario Northland Transportation Commission is that it’s too helpful to Northeastern Ontario? The ONTC has a long history of being progressive in terms of economic development for the region.
In recent history, it was the ONTC that stepped up to the plate to help establish a phosphate mine near Kapuskasing by creating a new spur directly to the site.
And it was the ONTC that recently joined Timmins officials during discussions for a chromite processing facility from the Ring of Fire Project — the biggest mineral discovery in Ontario in the last 100 years. Ontario Northland isn’t just a key component to development in the North, it is part of the North.
It is the reliable worker that can make things happen, regardless of long odds against or bleak economic times.
In many ways, the ONTC is like the character Boxer the horse in the George Orwell classic novel Animal Farm.
Boxer was loyal to the farm, dedicated to making improvements through hard work.
In the end, Boxer’s rulers rewarded his efforts by shipping the horse off to the glue factory.
Bringing the chromite plant to Timmins would fly in the face of the objectives of the report Investing in People: Creating a Human Capital Society for Ontario.
This report, commissioned under the Conservative (Mike) Harris government, but received by the Liberal (Dalton) McGuinty government, calls for all economic growth to be centred in Sudbury and Thunder Bay.
Having the plant in Northeastern Ontario would create hundreds of value-added and spinoff jobs for the region, which flies in the face of the southern blueprint for the North.
Those in the know realize Timmins made quite an impression with Cliffs Natural Resources, the firm looking to develop the plant.
And the ONTC played a major part in recent discussions.
But Timmins is neither Sudbury nor Thunder Bay.
How apropos that the announcement to ship the ONTC to the glue factory was made by MPP Rick Bartolucci (Liberal — Sudbury).
The demise of Ontario Northland would strengthen Sudbury’s chances with Cliffs and help fulfill the blueprint for the North outlined in the Investing in People report (the very name of the report carries with it so many Orwellian overtones).
But the glue factory truck hasn’t left the farm just yet.
Unionized workers with the ONTC have started a campaign to reverse the decision.
And the provincial government needs to pass last week’s provincial budget before the final stroke of the axe is made to the head of Ontario Northland.
Already the Conservatives have announced they will vote against the budget.
In a minority government situation, which is currently the case in Ontario, failure to pass the budget triggers a provincial election.
However, for that to happen, the NDP — which has more MPPs in Northern Ontario ridings than any other party — would also have to vote against the budget.
But don’t bet on that happening.
For the rest of this article, please go to the Timmins Daily Press website: http://www.thedailypress.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=3523972